What service do we provide?
City of Sunderland YMCA Foyer provides supported accommodation for 16 – 24 year olds who are homeless, vulnerable and in need of support, in the form of 24 self contained flats. We provide 24-hour individual support within one main building that is a safe environment for young people. The main aim of our work is to move young people from dependence to independence through support planning.
For specialist advice on issues we refer young people to external agencies.
When young people are ready to leave the YMCA they are referred to our Outreach Worker. The Outreach Workers role is to help the young person identify and apply for suitable accommodation. Once accommodation is secured the Outreach Worker will aid the young person in moving in, helping with benefit applications, connecting the necessary utilities and acquiring furniture. The Outreach Worker then supports young people for a period of 6 months but they are able to return to the service if needed for a further 18 months.
City of Sunderland YMCA Foyer has an in house training department that provides life skills and Foundation Learning training courses. Young people must commit to some form of training, education or work whilst living at the Foyer. The training department is also open to non-residents. We also provide other projects including:
- Mad House Café
- Peer Education – MAD-4U
- Foyer Media Sunderland/Mad House Media
- Your Chance
Who do we provide the service for?
Our service is aimed at young people, male or female, who are homeless and vulnerable aged 16 – 24 years old. This includes young people who are/have:
- Offenders – we are happy to take referrals from custody and interview at local YOS/prisons
- Leaving Care
- Street Homeless
- Alcohol and Drug issues
- Mental Health Issues
We take referrals from a wide variety of sources, such as:
- Local Community
- External Agencies
- Families
- Local Authorities
- Keys Project
- Neca
- Springboard
- Self referrals
- Community Addition Team
- DISC
Why do we provide the service?
Because of its Christian values City of Sunderland YMCA provides the service but there are a variety of reasons behind this the main one being due to the homelessness problem. There is a lack of affordable accommodation for young, single homeless within the City and the YMCA acknowledges the hidden homeless problem.
Our main aim is to support young people from dependence to independence and help them to build a future by empowering them to make important decisions about their lives. Overall we aim to offer an opportunity of a better way of life to young people. We acknowledge that young people need more than just supported housing in order to move forward in their lives. For this reason we provide training and education as well.
How do people access the service?
The main way to access our service is through referring a young person. This can be done through an agency or young people can refer themselves. In order to refer a young person to both the housing and training department an application form must be completed. The housing department then completes necessary checks and will then invite young people in for an interview. The interview is to determine if the YMCA is the right place for the young person to live and to gauge the level of support the young person needs. We advertise our services through the following mechanisms:
- Phonebook
- Promotional work with agencies
- Word of mouth
- Advertising
- Publicity through local and national press
- Open days that are held twice a year
- People are free to call into the YMCA and enquire about our services
How is the service delivered?
Housing
Each young person is allocated a key worker before they arrive at the YMCA. This person is then responsible for setting up a support plan with the young person. Key workers must meet with young people at least once per week. As well as supporting young people key workers can act as advocates and mentors.
Housing Support Workers meet on a regular basis to support each other in helping their service users. If necessary a team approach is taken with a service user meaning that every staff member will have a part to play in that young persons support for a time. This allows us to draw on team member’s strengths.
Training
Young people in the accommodation project are expected to attend training and are introduced to the training department as part of their induction to the YMCA. All young people complete a fast track basic skills assessment that helps us to gauge their literacy and numeracy level.
Young people can be referred to training via agencies such as Connexions, Job Centre or refer themselves.
- Training is delivered informally by one of 3 tutors. For more on the Training Dept. (See Training Dept)
Who runs the service?
Overall a board of directors who are elected due to their skills and knowledge base manages City of Sunderland YMCA. They employ a team of professional and highly skilled staff to run the daily business. This is lead by a Chief Executive backed up by a Operations Manager, Training Manager and Finance and Administration Manager
When is the service open?
The YMCA is open 24 hours each day. However applications can only be processed during normal working hours.
What is expected of service users?
Service users are expected to:
- Attend key work sessions
- Have, contribute and carry out support plans
- Adhere to policy and procedures to ensure the best support possible to everyone
- Keep confidentiality, this is a two way process
- Take part in risk assessments on specific issues
- Claim housing benefit, help can be given with this
- Pay their part of the rent – this is a nominal charge
- Ensure the electric supply in their flats is connected at all times
- Take on board support and advice given by staff
- Attend some form of training and education
What accommodation is provided?
City of Sunderland YMCA Foyer has 24 self-contained bed-sits that include en-suite bathrooms, a kitchen area, sitting area and bedroom. Service users are responsible for cooking their own meals but cooking lessons are available in the training department!
There is a communal room where service users can meet, relax, watch TV and play numerous board games. The YMCA has a laundry for use of service users who can also borrow an iron and ironing board.
What forms of support do we provide?
The YMCA provides a variety of support/advice including the following:
- Budget plans
- Emotional support
- Form filling
- Benefit advice
- Jobs/training
- Advice and guidance
- Family and agency mediation
- Individual support plans
- Minimum of weekly contact with all service users
- Basic living skills i.e. cooking, personal hygiene
- Sexual health/teenage pregnancy
- Drug and alcohol
- Accompanied appointments
- Relationship advice – parents, children, partners
- Supervised spends
- Support to Court appearances
- Liase with outside agencies on behalf of service users
What don’t we offer?
These services are offered through other agencies:
- Counselling
- Specific drug/alcohol advice
- Mental Health Issues
- Probation/Youth Offending
Unfortunately we don’t offer accommodation to:
- Disabled/blind – all applications will be considered and we have plans to convert a flat for full disabled access by mid-2006
- Teenage parents – our accommodation is unsuitable
- Support to heroin addicts, arsonists or sex offenders
- Having pets
- Support to over 25 yrs and under 16’s
What is expected?
We do expect young people to:
- Adhere to their tenancy agreement and house rules
- Attend training
- Claim the necessary benefits to live here
- Pay their rent
- Have electricity on in their flats
- Attend all relevant meetings
- Comply with support agreements
- Keep their flat clean
- Respect other residents and staff
- Not to commit criminal damage
- Be an ambassador for the YMCA
What can young people expect from the YMCA?
The YMCA will provide 24-hour support from competent, well trained staff that adhere to the young persons requests for confidentiality.
We will provide the young person with a home where they can grow and develop. Once young people are ready to leave the YMCA we will help them find independent accommodation.
We acknowledge young people are individuals with their own problems. We might not always be able to give support but will find an agency that can, the young person can live at the YMCA while receiving support from other agencies for specific issues
What does City of Sunderland YMCA Foyer expect to achieve?
We aim to help reduce the level of homelessness within Sunderland by ensuring young people become independent are able to live in their own properties. By providing advice and support on issues such as drug/alcohol misuse, sexual health, teenage pregnancy and self-harm we hop to empower service users to make positive life choices.
As an organisation we expect to have a positive profile and aim to be a beacon YMCA. We aim to keep our accredited Foyer and Investors In People award. As with all organisations we aim to expand in line with our business plan. We want to develop more supported accommodation for young people and to provide move on accommodation and employment opportunities for the young people we work with.
For more information or specific questions please get in contact.